Editorial

By Julia Saunders.
26 Feb 2018.

January is the strangest month? In the modern day as we recover from the excesses of Christmas and the New Year we feel it necessary to impose “dry January” on ourselves. Anyone with any street cred now abstains from alcohol for a whole month presumably so that they can be quite smug about drinking like fish for the rest of the year! Those who know me will be neither shocked nor surprised to learn that I am quite happy to be fish-like all year.

In our house January also means the panic of tax returns – you know the conversation let’s do them earlier next year – oh how we laugh!! Also, as we are entering a “big” year with GCSE’s, we have the delight of mock exams so grumpy teenager can panic for a split second about the mountain of work he still has to learn before consoling himself with an hour or two on the PlayStation™.

Happily, we are already into February and as I write we are looking forward to Shrove Tuesday (known in our house as Pancake Day) and Chinese New Year. We are entering the year of the dog, lucky for you if you are also a dog (in Chinese astrology terms – it is a twelve-year cycle work it out) like Donald Trump. I shudder to think what that might mean.

The School Debate Competition is going really well. Thank you to all my Judges, solicitor and academic, who are giving up their time to support this exciting new project. The children are coming back for their second debates and it is pleasing to see that they have taken on board comments and are now attempting some counter-arguments. Write up on page 16. The final is at Derby University Law School on 7th March 4-6pm please come along if you can.

Also on page 16 is Andy’s trip down memory lane. Looking through the old DDLS minutes and paperwork is engrossing and time-consuming and I am grateful to Andy for sharing his findings. I note from my own peek into them that many of Andy’s ancestors are mentioned in those pages so I guess he has a vested interest.

You will see that the counter at Derby County Court is closing and there will now be an appointments system. Details on page 9. I wait with interest for any feedback on how well this is working.

The DJL continue their excellent work of getting young lawyers involved by organising a Christmas party, quiz and future events. Whilst on the topic of young lawyers please see pages 12 and 13 and get your trainees/ newly qualified solicitors to get their applications in for the Skills Triathlon. It is a great event and the potential for prize money substantial.

Only one person spotted the reference to How the Grinch Stole Christmas in the last edition. Dr Seuss - apparently some of the most popular children’s books of all time. So, from a completely different source rain has taken over my life since Christmas flooding rugby pitches, golf courses and waterlogging the world generally but “if you want the rainbow you gotta put up with the rain” anyone???